Tag Archives: Brayden Schenn

CITIZENS BANK PARK – It took 18 career games, a myriad of injuries to push through and a hockey stage never before seen in Philadelphia.

But in story tale fashion, in the second period of Monday’s Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park, Brayden Schenn earned his much anticipated and highly memorable first NHL goal.

“When it went in I kind of blacked out,” said Schenn, whose efforts were thwarted by a third-period Flyers collapse and eventual 3-2 Rangers win. “I got so excited. It’s good to get it out of the way and it was especially nice with my family in town and I’m sure my brother [Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Luke Schenn] was watching, too.”

For the third time this season, Brayden Schenn is set to make a long-awaited return to the Flyers.

On Monday, Schenn, who suffered a concussion on Dec. 3 against the Phoenix Coyotes, practiced with active-roster linemates, Zac Rinaldo and Harry Zolnierczyk. The sign is a positive one, likely spelling his return.

Another return. From another injury.

Schenn’s move on and off injured reserve, whether official or non-official, has been a frustratingly common routine this season for him and the Flyers. The highest hopes for the labeled future star have been replaced with the lowest of disappointment.

Schenn has seen misfortune so great, that he is close to being marked with the most unwanted, despised label in hockey. Something so distasteful, uttering it is a curse. But evidenced by four sidelining injuries in 14 NHL games, Schenn is approaching the vaunted characteristic of being officially injury prone.

On Sunday, the Flyers aroused the optimism of their fan base by releasing a surprise photograph of concussed Claude Giroux practicing in a non-contact jersey. Not only did the team’s star forward and leading scorer make the trip to Colorado, but was in competitive spirits and working at a high level.

With the picture and accounts of the practice came an overwhelming optimistic exhale from the Flyers’ community, who have suffered through a tidal wave of bad news in the past couple weeks. From Chris Pronger to Brayden Schenn, Sean Couturier and of course, Giroux, injuries have hit the team hard and in succession.

The worst, as Giroux zipped around the Pepsi Center, seems to have passed.

But regardless of the appearance, concussions, more accurately, post-concussion syndrome, is a sneaky and unpredictable terror. Just when you think it’s better, it attacks once again, sending the player back to square one. It can be as frustrating as it is debilitating.

So given its shifty nature, it should be noted that the Flyers and Giroux are not out of the woods yet.

The type of fear and trepidation that only a head trauma injury could bring.

Late in the second period of Saturday night’s 5-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, an ill-fated and misplayed body check by Claude Giroux put him in the direct contact with teammate Wayne Simmonds.

Simmonds did his best to dodge Giroux, but in trying to leap over him, kneed the Flyers’ leading scorer in the back of his head. Giroux stumbled off the ice and shortly after was sent into the locker room.

He did not return to the game as a precaution according to general manager Paul Holmgren. He will be re-evaluated on a day-to-day basis.

The news of Brayden Schenn’s recall from the AHL’s Adirondack Phantoms on Wednesday, sent a shockwave of excitement and confusion through the Flyers’ faithful, who have become smitten with the current make of their squad, fourth-liners and all.

Coming off a dominating 7-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday and running their overall record to 4-0-1, the fun-to-watch Flyers have abruptly shuffled their lineup, sending the impressive Zac Rinaldo and Harry Zolnierczyk down to the Phantoms and inserting Schenn, a high-profile center, into the pivot-heavy fray.

But regardless of where Schenn plays, the minutes he receives, the line combinations it causes or whether the decision to tinker with the roster was the correct one, there is something to note here that shouldn’t get lost in the roster shuffle.

Painted into the salary cap corner thanks to the eye-opening play of Matt Read and Sean Couturier and the five-game stays-on-the-cap suspension of enforcer Jody Shelley, the Flyers and general manager Paul Holmgren are in a roster jam.

Ratcheted up against the cap wall the Flyers were playing with fire to begin with, even without injuries or suspensions to start the preseason. And even before the season starts with the high salary of Brayden Schenn, the injury to Andreas Nodl and the weighing suspension to Shelley, they are paying for their financial decisions.

He may not appear like much on paper, but unsigned tryout Michael Nylander will be a welcomed sight at Flyers training camp beginning in late September.

Sure, at 38, his best years are clearly behind him. Having been pushed out of the NHL since 2008-09 isn’t ideal and the broken neck he suffered in October of 2010 doesn’t typically spell a recipe for future success.

However, what the veteran center does bring to training camp is an interesting variable to the seemingly set Flyers roster equation. Nylander represents possibilities, options and at worst, free competition.

About

Ryan Bright (Philabright@gmail.com) is a sports writer, born and raised in the Philadelphia area. A graduate of West Chester University, he has been with the Daily Local News in Chester County since early 2007, working as the paper's college and high school ice hockey beat writer. In 2010, began as a contributer for CSNPhilly.com, covering the Flyers and the Philadelphia Union.

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